MARIETTA — U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta), a practicing physician with 31 years in the private sector, said it’s time to unseat President Barack Obama so that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can be repealed.

“This is I think probably the worst piece of legislation that I am familiar with almost in the history of this country,” Gingrey said. “Now more than ever with this Supreme Court decision if we do not repeal Obama then Obamacare continues, and as its roots sink in it will almost be impossible to get rid of it, and all of a sudden we’ll be just like the U.K. and these other countries who have national health insurance that pay the bills by rationing care.”

First elected to Congress in 2002, Gingrey faces two Republicans in the July 31 election. The winner will face Democrat Patrick Thompson of Roswell in the general election.

“There are folks like my opponent, Mr. Opitz, who want to try to suggest that there is language in this latest bill, NDAA, that allows our government to indefinitely detain a citizen or a permanent legal resident who is suspected of terroristic activity, to indefinitely detain them, take away their rights, the writ of habeas corpus, without ever bringing any charges,” Gingrey said. “In other words, lock them up, throw away the key and forget about them. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

While there was concern about language in the bill last year, that language was carefully reworked in the new act, Gingrey said.

“It seems like maybe my opponent doesn’t understand that he’s almost advocating for terrorists who are wanting to destroy this country would be safer to come to the United States than they are in their current havens of Afghanistan, Yemen or wherever they work their nefarious magic, so here again I’m standing up for the defense of this country and the men and women who are on the front line in supporting NDAA, and I’m very proud of that while at the same time protecting our personal liberties.”

The congressman wouldn’t say whether he intends to vote for or against the July 31 transportation referendum.

“I need to continue to hear from both sides and to keep an open mind and make sure that I listen to people and be respectful of their opinions and not go into this with a predetermined decision,” he said.

On the matter of what to do about illegal immigrants, Gingrey applauded Sheriff Neil Warren’s use of the 287(g) program as well as the General Assembly’s adoption of the immigration reform bill last year.

Gingrey said he also favored granting public dollars to private businesses to spur economic development, although it had to be done carefully. He cited the financial help the Obama administration gave to now-bankrupt Solyndra, a California manufacturer of solar panels, as a cautionary tale.

“We need to be extremely careful, but on the other hand to say that we’ll use a program not of a grant but loan guarantee to help the Southern Company move forward with the two additional reactors at Plant Vogtle and ultimately looking long term of course the rate payers are paying for that, and this will be a very successful project, so to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a question like that I think the reason I am the congressman from the 11th congressional district is that I have the judgment, the wisdom to look at things and understand and very carefully with a very measured decision and not a knee-jerk reaction of a ‘hell no’ or a ‘hell yes’ on every issue,” he said.

Gingrey also said he would support whatever action is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The congressman could not say how much his campaign has currently raised.

The Observer needs to understand that it is VERY unlikely that Gingrey would be replaced by a Democrat in this district. Nonetheless, Gingrey NEEDS to be replaced!

TCalli

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July 02, 2012

Rep. Gingrey is right on the mark. Obamacare is going to destroy our health care system, and Gingrey's background as a doctor is important when Republicans repeal Obamacare and work to fix the health care system. I'll certainly be voting for Phil.

Well Smiling Jack, you just showed your support for the bankrupting of our country and a repeal of the 1st amendment.

Looks like you want a communist government.

Kim Huffman

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July 03, 2012

Observer: Our country deserves better than umpteenth place in the order of global healthcare. Other countries offer healthcare as a national priority and right, and have healthier citizens to prove it...don't you think America deserves better?, are you perhaps a jihadist or anarchist who doesn't think so?..what are you going to do, point to a Republican plan as an alternative?..what plan do they have for the health betterment or our people? What has Gingrey suggested as an alternative?..talk about obstructionist...

Kennesaw Resident

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July 03, 2012

@ Kim Huffman, health care is NOT a human right!

The Observer

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July 03, 2012

Kim Huffman: Our country deserves better than umpty percent unemployment and being ----ion dollars in debt. Other countries that offer healthcare as a national priority and right are experiencing those kinds of numbers. Just look at Greece. Yes. America does deserve better. Better leadership from its president. Better will from its do-nothing senate. A better plan to reform the system than what was passed by the arrogant Democrats. They blew it by coming up with what we have now, so yes, I'd support a Republican plan. Better that than Obamacare. We cannot live without the 1st Amendment. We cannot live under the ownership of China. We cannot live with umpty percent unemployment. I will not live with and refuse to sponsor the genocide of voiceless babies. I will not live without freedom of religion. But what about you? I guess you're amongst those liberals who wish to destroy this country out of arrogance.

O'BamaRobertsCare

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July 02, 2012

It's way passed time to unseat Gingrey. He's been on Capitol Hill for a long time but hasn't done anything useful. He's only been an obstructionist and hasn't offered any useful ideas. That's because he probably can't think of any. Gingrey should be the poster boy for requiring term limits.

It's way passed time to unseat Obama and his pasi. They'll soon be on Capitol Hill for 4 years and have done many things detrimental. They're also obstroctionalists with a do-nothing Senate that prevents the repeal of their things detrimental. That's because of their arrogance. They should be the poster folks for what Congress shouldn't do.

@The Observer, would those liberals include Gingrey, who supports social-welfare in the form of Medicare?

Gingrey a Liberal?!

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July 03, 2012

You obviously don't know what you're saying, Kennesaw Resident.

anonymous

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July 01, 2012

The work goes forward...The hope still lives....and the Dream shall never die....RIP Ted Kennedy, Thank you for securing this with Obama's help for the American People. Come on GOP radicals...DO WHAT IS RIGHT

If not this go round, the next go round. Gingrey needs to be moved on. He is part of the problem. He was in Congress during the Bush years when they had full control of congress, yet did nothing to stop the wild growth of government/intrusion(DHS, EPA and Education, for example)and spending. He is not a fiscal conservative and is clueless about how far the decisions of the Bush years have encroached on the freedoms of citizens lives (when was the last time he was groped before he got on an airplane??). We need more than a "aww shucks" personality. We need someone who has a clue. If not this go round, in two years.

Gingrey is simply a right wing extremist who will matter little when all is said and done. His appeal is only to those on the far right of center. He is irrelevant except as dead weight to our historical progress as a nation.

Yes. Time for new leadership in this country. Time to vote out every communist democrat who voted for bankrupting this country, and voting for every republican who will fix this country and re-electing every republican that will do the same, including Gingrey.

j Bolton

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July 01, 2012

No, it's time to get rid of Gingrey and Price. Both are corrupted by K-Street lobbyists.

And just who do you plan to vote for? Another Obama communist who wants to bring this country down?

Kennesaw Resident

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July 03, 2012

Vote for a Libertarian!

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